Curtain-display mechanism.



No. 722,568. PATENTED MAR. 10, I903.

A. M. DAVY.

' CURTAIN DISPLAY MECHANISM. APPLICATION 111.131) D30. 17, 1901.

I0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZ O MARSHALL DAVY, OF CLARE, MICHIGAN.

CURTAIN-DISPLAY MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,568, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed December 17,1901. Serial No. 86,331. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO MARSHALL DAVY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Clare, in the county of Clare and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Device for the Display and Exhibition of Curtains, Draperies, and Similar Goods in Salesrooms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toanoveldisplay device designed particularly for the display of curtains and other draperies in salesrooms.

Ordinarily the curtains are thrown successively over a supporting-bar for the inspection of the customer and are successively cast aside for refolding at the convenience of the salesman. By this usual method of inspection the draperies are liable to be damaged by the handling thereof, and aside from the unnecessary time consumed in displaying the goods their refolding after the inspection is laborious and requires time which might well be consumed by other duties.

Having in mind these objections to present methods, the object of my invention is to produce a simple, efficient, and inexpensive display device comprising a foldable rack having a series of supporting members for the individual displays and capable of being folded into small compass when not in use or of being unfolded to present the particular ourtains or other draperies successively to the View of the customer.

To the accomplishment of this object the invention comprehends the employment of a supporting member designed to be attached to a wall or the like and having hinged connection with the vertically-disposed arm of a swinging display-support constituting one of a series of such supports hinged to each other in succession and designed to fold close against the wall or to be swung outwardly in radial positions to facilitate the successive display of the drapery hung loosely from each member.

The invention in its preferred embodiment comprehends certain other details of construction and arrangement, to be hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective 1 indicates a supporting-strip designed to I be secured toawall in any suitable manneras, for instance, by screws 2-and having hinged connection with a drapery-supporting rack made up of a plurality of swinging members a b c, &c. Each of the swinging members of the rack is formed with a vertical slat 3, from the upper end of which extends horizontally a drapery-supportingarm tof a width corresponding with the thickness of the slat 3 and preferably braced by a diagonal brace 5, having its opposite ends secured to the arm 4 and the slat 3, as shown.

As I have already explained, economy of space is a material consideration, and yet it is essential that the rack be capable of being opened out fully in order that each of the individual displaysas, for instance, curtains or the like--may be thoroughly inspected.

In order to effect the embodiment of both of these desirable characteristics in the device constructed in accordance with my invention, I have devised a peculiar manner of hinging the members ofthe rack to each other and of hinging the rack as a whole to its support. The member a, which is one end member of the series of members comprising the rack, is hinged at the outer rear corner of its vertical slat 3 with the adjacent outer corner of the supporting-strip las, for instance, by a pair of mortise-hinges 6 and 7. By this means the member a is capable of being swung fiat against the face of the strip 1, so as to lie parallel with and closely adjacent to the wall to which the supporting-strip is screwed. The next member-t0 wit,the memberb-is hinged to the first member a, by mortise-hinges 8 and 9, connecting the adjacent corners of the vertical slats 3 of the members connected, the same manner of connection being employed for hinging each of the successive members to the member next preceding-that is to say, each member of the rack has its vertical'slat provided at its rear corners with hinged connection with the adjacent corners of the members at either side, the member at one end of the series of members being hinged to the supporting-strip in the manner described and the member at the other end of the rackhaving hinged connection at one corner only. By reason of this peculiar mounting of the members they may be swung into parallel relation, so as to lie fiat one against the other, with the member nearest the strip 1 lying flat against the face thereof and close to the wall, so that the space occupied by the rack when not in use will be comparatively insignificant. At the same time this mounting of the members permits them to be swung back into radial positions, which separates the supporting-arms to facilitate the display of the individual draperies and their thorough inspection by the customer. It should be noted in this connection that heavy draperies may be hung upon the supporting-arms 4:, which are necessarily of considerable length. Considerable leverage will therefore be exerted upon the hinged connections of the members with each other and with the support, and for this reason it is essential that said members comprise vertical slats the connection of each of which with its neighbor is effected by a plurality of hinges located in different horizontal planes, and, as shown in the drawings, it is desirable to dispose the hinges of each horizontal series in staggered relation. All of the hinges are arranged between the ends of the vertical slats, whereby the entire upper edges of the horizontal supporting-arms are free to receive the lace curtains, so that there will be no liability of tearing or otherwise injuring the same in arranging the display members for displaying the curtain and in folding the device.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have produced a novel display device embodying structural characteristics which effect the attainment of the several objects recited; but while the present embodiment of the invention appears at this time to be preferable I desire to reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations of the illustrated structure as may fall properly within the scope of theprotection prayed.

What I claim is- A device for displaying lace curtains'comprising a vertical supporting-strip designed to be secured to a wall, a series of display members, each comprising a vertical slat and a horizontal supporting-arm extending from the upper extremity of the slat, and hinges connecting the adjacentvertical corners of the slats and also connecting one corner of one of the end slats to one of the outer vertical corners of the supporting-strip, to permit the display members to lie flat against each other and against the outer face of the supportingstrip when the device is not in use, and to be swung outward into separated radial positions for displaying curtains, all of the said hinges being disposed below the upper ends of the vertical slats, whereby the entire upper edge of the supporting-arm is exposed and adapted to receive the curtains to be displayed, and the said arm permitted to swing without liability of tearing a curtain, substantially as described.

ALONZO MARSHALL DAVY.

Witnesses:

O. F. HALLER, Mrs. G. F. HALLER. 

